Use @example.com email address for sites that require email

You know those annoying websites that are designed to briefly show you the page, but then block you from actually using it until you enter your email address? That annoys the crap out of me! There’s an easy way around it, though, if you don’t want to use your real email address: make an @example.com one!

There’s an explanation of example.com below, but basically it is a domain that seems like a real domain and accepts email from other mail servers, but immediately dumps the email. This allows people to test out programs they write that need to send email, but it also provides an interesting back door to websites requiring an email address.

All you need to do is come up with anything – anything at all, whether it’s names, words, just a bunch of random letters – and put it before the @example.com. As long as it’s a valid email format, example.com will accept it. So go ahead and use IROCK@example.com, or xxsddfswe@example.com or youcanthavemyemailaddress@example.com.

One caveat: this isn’t a secret, and there are quite a few coders out there that won’t allow any @example.com email addresses. This trick will work at most websites, but don’t be surprised if you get a “not a valid domain” message from time to time.

Happy surfing!

select a domain name without creating naming conflicts if end-users try to use the sample configurations or examples verbatim.